It was recently uncovered that Target has given a bunch of money to a political action committee, Minnesota Forward, that supports anti-gay Republican Tom Emmer, who is running for governor of Minnesota. Target, based in Minneapolis, gave $150,000 to the PAC. As The Awl points out, this is out of character for Target, a company usually regarded as fairly pro-gay. They have partner benefits for employees and they’ve appeared on many lists of the best places for gays to shop and work.

Progressive compared to its peers, Target extends domestic-partner benefits to gay and lesbian employees. It has also openly sponsored Twin Cities Pride and other gay and lesbian events in the state. Target puts its name on Minnesota AIDS Walk, a move that many corporations, worried about religious consumer terrorism, are far too cowardly to even consider.

Emmer’s stance on gay marriage is pretty standard for The Conservative Right. He believes that marriage is “between one man and one woman,” and he has sponsored legislation supporting that view. Not exactly revolutionary if you’ve ever listened to a Republican stump speech.

But as change.org and sfist.com have reported, Emmer also supports Christian rock band called You Can Run But You Cannot Hide. Emmer is friends with frontman Bradlee Dean, who has been quoted saying:

“[Homosexuals] play the victim when they are, in fact, the predator. On average, they molest 117 people before they’re found out. How many kids have been destroyed, how many adults have been destroyed because of crimes against nature?”

“Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.”

So what gives with Target’s support of Emmer? This is the explanation they gave to The Awl (emphasis ours, also note that they never even mention Emmer’s name):

“Target is proud to call Minnesota and communities across the country home. To ensure economic growth in those communities it is critically important to be able to provide jobs, serve guests, support communities and deliver on our commitment to shareholders.

Target supports causes and candidates based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business interests. In fact, Target’s Federal PAC contributions year-to-date are very balanced between Republicans and Democrats, and we work collaboratively with legislators and officials at all points on the political spectrum.

Target fosters civic engagement through a wide variety of nonpartisan efforts aimed at enhancing team member and citizen participation in the political process. We encourage team members and citizens to engage in civic activities in the ways that are most meaningful to them, as we believe that engaged communities are healthier and stronger communities.

Target is proud of the diversity of its team, and we greatly value the wide range of perspectives offered by all of our team members. It is this diversity that creates our unique and inclusive corporate culture while helping our company remain relevant and competitive.”

Money trumps human rights, pretty much every time. Obviously, the key to world domination is to make “doing the right thing” compatible with making money. If all gay people stop shopping at Target over this issue, then supporting Emmer no longer promotes their business interest. Vote with your dollars, as they say. While I’m willing to bet a boycott of Target will go over about as well as a boycott of American Apparel, it’s worth a shot.

don't do this

But what if you don’t have any money, making your boycott meaningless because you wouldn’t have bought that $20 Mossimo Supply v-neck or cute boyshorts anyway? Well, you can sign this petition from change.org telling Target that you don’t appreciate their donations and asking them to renounce You Can Run But You Cannot Hide.

Sarah lives in Chicago with her partner and her big white Great Dane. She is a lawyer by day and a beer brewer/bread baker/knitter by night. She & her partner are currently learning how to grow their own food, and eventually they hope to move to a small farm outside the city. In 2009-2010, before jetting off to law school, Sarah was Autostraddle's Managing Editor.

I did some quick and dirty math, and if every gay person in America (conservatively estimating 2% of the population with the most recent census data for the total population of the US being ~307,006,550, not factoring in age) molested all 117 people that we are purported to on average (if you count other gay people as molestation targets too and you don’t count repeat victims), that’s ~718,395,327 people and twice the national population.

Clearly, we have to start outsourcing our abuse overseas to make that average. Productivity, my friends!

Noooo! I love Tarzhay this is so disappointing! At least the one in Brooklyn is too gross to shop at and I’m unlikely to schlep up to the new one in East Harlem. I hope they renounce this so I can frolic gaily through their aisles again.

I agree boycotting target is a good idea and anyone-one holding Target Stock should sell in protest, that includes large corporations holding blocks of target stock otherwise those companies should be boycotted as well. What is even more scary to me is that so many young gay and straight people are not registered to vote and many do not vote .We need to get the gay and straight youth to the polls.I find it shocking that many young people complain when the power and making a difference was in their hands .If one does not vote they have no right to complain.,they are as responsible for the bigotry as the bigots.If the young gays and non bigoted straights do not get out to vote and those not registered ,do not . Meg Whitman will be Governor and set back gay rights in California and many other minority rights.California will be the New Arizona. It is up to the lazy people that do not vote and people helping to educate the uneducated to make a difference and move California forward. Stop Anti-Gay Whitman